The Kardashians’ Biggest Business Fails They’d Rather Forget
The Kardashians may be synonymous with success, but not every business venture has been a billion-dollar empire. While Kylie Cosmetics and SKIMS have taken the beauty and fashion worlds by storm, the famous family has had their fair share of flops. From tanning products and mobile apps to failed boutiques and costly lawsuits, let’s take a look at all the Kardashian-Jenner businesses that didn’t quite make the cut.
Glamour Tan – The First Beauty Blunder (2010)
Before Kylie and Kim’s makeup brands became household names, the sisters dipped their toes into the beauty industry with Glamour Tan, a self-tanner exclusively sold at Sephora. While reviews were decent, the product quietly disappeared from shelves not long after its release. Maybe they should’ve just stuck to their professional spray tans!
Perfect Skin – The Not-So-Perfect Skincare Line (2010)
Long before SKKN and Kylie Skin, the Kardashian sisters promoted Perfect Skin, a three-step skincare system. They partnered with a dermatologist to market the product, but despite the hype, the brand faded into obscurity the same year it launched. Apparently, not all celebrity-endorsed skincare lines are built to last.
Related: The Kardashian-Jenner Empire: Which Sibling is the most successful?
Related: Kim Kardashian’s Billion-Dollar Empire: How She Built SKIMS
Khroma Beauty – A Legal Nightmare (2012-2014)
The Kardashians’ first real attempt at a makeup empire came in 2012 with Khroma Beauty—a line sold exclusively at Ulta. However, the brand quickly ran into trademark disputes with Kroma Beauty, another cosmetics company. A messy legal battle ensued, and despite the sisters’ efforts to keep the business afloat, it was ultimately rebranded before disappearing for good.
The drama didn’t stop there! Years later, the Kardashians themselves had to sue their licensors for unpaid royalties, eventually winning a $11.5 million settlement in 2021.
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood – The App That Once Ruled the World (2014-2024)
For a while, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood was the mobile game to play. The free-to-download app allowed users to work their way up the A-list through virtual social climbing, fashion choices, and in-app purchases.
At its peak, the game was raking in $200 million per year, but like all trends, its popularity fizzled. In April 2024, Kim officially shut down the game to focus on other projects, leaving behind a generation of players who once dreamed of making it to the K-K-K-list.
Kimoji – The Emoji Empire That Vanished (2015-2018)
Remember when the App Store was flooded with Kim-inspired emojis? In 2015, Kim launched Kimoji, offering over 250 custom emojis and GIFs, including her infamous crying face.
The app was a viral sensation, but behind the scenes, things weren’t so glamorous. In 2018, Kim found herself embroiled in a $100 million lawsuit over an alleged breach of contract related to the app. Soon after, Kimoji vanished from the App Store—taking with it the dreams of those who wanted their keyboard to be as Kardashian as possible.
Related: Kylie Jenner's Business Struggles: Is Kylie Cosmetics Failing?
Kendall & Kylie Game – The App That Couldn’t Keep Up (2016-2022)
Following in Kim’s footsteps, Kendall and Kylie launched their own mobile game in 2016. The game encouraged players to grow their social media following through style choices and social interactions.
While it had a decent run, it never reached the level of success Kim Kardashian: Hollywood achieved. By July 2022, it had begun shutting down, proving that even digital fame can be fleeting.
Dash Boutique – The Family’s First Business (2006-2018)
Before they were billionaires, the Kardashian sisters were boutique owners. They launched DASH in Calabasas in 2006, later expanding to Miami and New York. The stores became a staple of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, but over time, sales declined, and the sisters decided to close all locations in 2018.
The biggest takeaway? Running a retail business isn’t as easy as posing in designer outfits on Instagram.
Belle Noel – Kim’s Jewelry Line That Didn’t Shine (2011-2012)
Kim’s attempt at a jewelry line, Belle Noel, was created in partnership with designer Pascal Mouawad. The collection was stocked at Bloomingdale’s and featured bold, chunky statement pieces.
Unfortunately, the brand never gained much traction and quietly disappeared within a year. Maybe delicate, minimalist jewelry was always the way to go?
Kendall + Kylie – The Clothing Line That Got Canceled (2011-2022)
The Jenner sisters got their start in fashion with Kendall + Kylie, a clothing line in partnership with PacSun. It was a hit for years—until controversy struck.
In 2017, they released vintage-style T-shirts featuring their faces superimposed over images of legendary musicians like Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. Fans were outraged, calling the designs "disrespectful" and "tasteless."
Then, in 2022, reports surfaced that factory workers in Bangladesh weren’t being paid, sparking even more backlash. The Jenners denied responsibility, but the damage was done—the brand slowly faded into oblivion.
The Takeaway: Even Kardashians Have Business Flops
For every Kylie Cosmetics or SKIMS, there’s a Glamour Tan or Kimoji lurking in the past. The Kardashians may be business-savvy, but even they’ve had their share of flops, legal battles, and PR disasters.
Still, if there’s one thing the famous family knows how to do, it’s reinvent themselves. Who knows what their next billion-dollar venture (or next epic failure) will be? One thing’s for sure—they’ll keep us talking.
